


Three Times Luke had to Face an Epi-pen

by SierraWinchester



Series: JatP, my own personal universe [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex and Luke but only a little bit, Alive Alex Mercer & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Angst, Canon Compliant, Facing Fears, Family, Fluff, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nut allergy, Other, Pre-Canon, Scary, Whump, You can decide what that means, alex and luke being cute kids, allergy, and a minor mention of Bobby and Reggie ‘experimenting’, and i use too many tags, epi pen, i still dont proofread, luke loves his friends, more than a band, no one said alex didnt have a nut allergy, well mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:21:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29223885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraWinchester/pseuds/SierraWinchester
Summary: Luke met Alex when was eleven. That's the first time he learned what an epi-pen was and why Alex always had one nearby. Two more notable times throughout the boys friendship when Luke had to think about the epi-pen.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby | Trevor Wilson & Alex Mercer & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters
Series: JatP, my own personal universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2145687
Comments: 6
Kudos: 126





	1. First Time

Luke and Alex met when they were around eleven years old. They’d been in the same grade at school and complete opposites of one another. Luke was boisterous and loud, always willing to stand in front of the class and do whatever it took to make everyone laugh, whereas Alex was shy, too timid to properly ready out loud in class and always hiding behind the sleeves of his sweaters when anyone looked at him. Somehow, though, they clicked. Maybe it was because they were so opposite, or maybe it was just because Luke had an undeniable charisma that made it hard to deny him of anything. In the end, it didn’t much matter, because the two worked so well together that it must’ve been fated.

Luke’s birthday was later in the year, during the cooler months of L.A. winter, so Alex hadn’t been invited to his birthday party, yet, but Alex’s birthday was barely out of summer, still before Halloween gripped the Elementary school with excitement. So, barely a few weeks after becoming friends, Luke was invited to Alex’s massive house for his twelfth birthday.

Luke’s parents had helped him to pick out the perfect present, a big monster truck toy that Luke himself had fallen in love with when he first saw it. Alex liked books a lot, but Luke didn’t know what books he’d want to read, so he had decided the monster truck would be a perfect gift. After all, who didn’t like monster trucks? 

Running into the house, Luke left his parents behind to talk to Mrs. Mercer as he sped off to find his friend. It wasn’t hard, Alex was sitting beside a group of other kids from their grade, all of them laughing at something that Tommy Finch was doing. If there ever was a class clown that compared to Luke, it was Tommy. Luke grinned as he skidded to a stop on the carpet, present still in hand. “Alex! You gotta open this!”

Alex looked up and he laughed at his friend, shaking his head, some of his blond hair slipping into his face, “Nope. Mom said I had to wait until after cake.”

Luke whined, pouting, “Then can we eat cake, now?” Like always, he was bouncing around, his body constantly vibrating with energy that Luke rarely ever seemed to lose.

Again, Alex laughed, “Not yet. But...mom did make cookies. We could probably sneak some of them before cake?” Even having only known Luke a few weeks, Alex knew that bargaining with the brunette was way easier than trying to convince him to gain some patience.

Luke grinned and he nodded, following his new friend out to the kitchen where the island in the center was covered in snacky foods, a plate piled high with cookies in the middle. Luke grabbed for one, about to shove it in his mouth, but he paused, “Hey, what kind are these? They’re not oatmeal, right? ‘Cause those are nasty.” Luke grimaced, glaring at the offending dessert in his hand.

Alex laughed, taking one for himself, “Nope. Just regular sugar cookies.” He bit into his own, as if to prove his point to Luke.

Luke nodded and chomped into his own cookie, speaking around the crumbling pastry in his mouth, “Why didn’t she make chocolate chip? Those are the best kinda cookies!”

Alex swallowed his own bite before he spoke, “Because mom bought the chocolate chips, but they weren’t safe, so she couldn’t use them. But that’s okay, I really like sugar cookies, too. I just wish we had sprinkles.”

Luke’s face scrunched up in confusion, head tilting slightly as he looked at his new friend like he’d made no sense. “Safe? Like… Like the chocolate chips needed to be rescued?”

Alex laughed and shook his head, smiling at the other boy, “No. I’m allergic to nuts, so I gotta be really careful or else I could go into shock. The chocolate chips we had we got from a neighbor and the bag said they might have nuts, so we couldn’t use them.”

Luke’s face smoothed a bit, but he was still a little confused. At eleven he hadn’t ever heard of shock. He knew allergies to be from grass outside or mosquito bites that covered his legs in summer and made him itch. “What’s shock? Will the nuts make you sneeze or itch?”

Alex shook his head, explaining with a matter-of-fact tone, “Nuts make me not breath. They make me feel all tingly and weak and then I can’t breathe. Mom calls it shock. So, if I eat nuts….” He paused, turning to a drawer behind him and pulling out what looked like a really long, fat pen, “I gotta get this in my leg so that I can breathe. Then I have to go to the hospital so they can make sure I’m okay.”

Luke looked over the device carefully, feeling unease settle in his gut. That didn’t sound fun and he did not want to know how that thing was used. “Okay… So no nuts.” He decided, smiling slightly at Alex when the older boy grinned back. He could do that. No nuts.


	2. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke is at Alex's to study and have some fun, but when he comes downstairs to find out why Alex is taking so long to get snacks he comes face to face with his new worst fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little short, but that's because I want to move on to the main event.

Luke Patterson, even at twelve years old, was a person of action. He never saw the point in looking before you leap. If there was barbed wire and lava at the bottom of the pit, why scare yourself knowing its there? Just enjoy the ride down and hope it’s a fun one. When Luke made a friend, he did so with his whole heart. Just this year when his parents bought him his first guitar, he’d decided to make a band and he’d convinced Alex, and their friend Reggie, to join him. So, yeah, Luke was a person of doing, not just standing around and hoping.

Which is why even he was confused as to why his feet felt glued to the ground, eyes wide and frozen on his best friend. Why couldn’t he move? Why was he stuck in cement, trapped to just watch as his friend died? Because that’s what was happening, right? Alex’s lips were a dull blue color, his hands scrabbling at his chest and throat, leaving bright red marks on his pale skin. Luke distantly clocked the sound of choking wheezes passing through Alex’s open lips, but he couldn’t make sense of them. 

Slowly, his brain began to work, the cogs moving at slow speed, working through the panic and shock that had filled his mind, drowning his normal actions in ice cold terror. Alex. Dying. Couldn’t breath. 

Alex.

Dying.

Couldn’t breath.

“Shit.” Luke cursed and quickly scrambled to his friends’ side, hands hovering over the blond like he wasn’t sure whether or not to touch him. “Okay...Okay…” Luke’s voice cracked and he wrote it off in the back of his mind as puberty, refusing to acknowledge his fear.

“Nuts, right? Okay...need the epi-pen…” Luke wasn’t really asking Alex for help, just trying to work out what he needed to be doing right now. Vaguely he remembered Alex puling the pen from the drawer nearby a year ago when he’d explained his allergy to Luke. Darting up, he ran to the drawer and began searching, tossing aside take out menus and match boxes and used up pens. 

Wrapping his hand around the device, he pulled it out and dropped down beside Alex. He knew the basics of how to use this and he knew that Alex couldn’t help him here, but that didn’t instill any confidence in the guitarist. If anything, he felt more anxious with Alex barely breathing beside him, counting on Luke to save his life.

Uncapping it, Luke took a deep breath, hands shaky as he made eye contact with his friend. “We got this, ‘Lex...no sweat… nice and easy….” Luke prepared to swing the thing at the drummers leg, use all his force to get a good injection, when the front door swung open.

Mr. Mercer stepped in, his briefcase being dropped when he saw the scene in front of him. In seconds he was beside the boys and had ripped the epi-pen from Luke’s sweaty hands. He didn’t hesitate, jabbing into Alex’s thigh, holding his son down with his free hand on his chest. “Luke, get the phone. Call 911.”

Unlike earlier, Luke bolted the second the words hit the tense air around him. He grabbed the landline from the cradle and dialed the three numbers, looking back at his friend and his father. Alex had tears streaming his face and while he was breathing a bit better, it was clear he wasn’t out of the woods yet. Mr. Mercer was rubbing his son’s back, speaking in a calm tone. Luke swallowed down his guilt, speaking around it to the operator to rattle off the address and explain the situation. If Mr. Mercer hadn’t been there.. Could he have done that himself? Could he have saved Alex? In that moment, Luke was sure he didn’t want to know, but he was also sure that if this ever happened again he would be more prepared. He loved Alex, and he didn’t want to be the reason he died.


	3. One Use Only

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally the time comes where Luke has to use Alex's epi-pen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is technically the final chapter with the epi-pens, but I decided that Luke and Alex need some fluff. So next chapter will just be Alex thanking Luke and helping him to feel better.

It had been four years since the last incident. As Alex got older and got more anxious and cautious, the incidents happened less and less. Alex was meticulous in checking his food, as were his friends usually, and if he was even a bit unsure he didn’t bother risking it. So, four years was the longest record so far and he was happy to keep that streak going if he had a choice. Sometimes, though, the universe had different ideas.

They were at Bobby’s place now, hanging out in the studio. Reggie was chatting with Bobby in the house, waiting for his mom to return from getting them some dinner from the steakhouse down the street. They’d all just done a fairly large gig and were exhausted and hungry. Alex and Luke were chilling in the studio, wanting a bit of privacy. Recently, their relationship had shifted slightly. If slightly suggested that they now spent the quiet nights after movies kissing and whispering sappy lyrics to one another. Bobby and Reggie had seen it happen before their eyes and had quickly congratulated them and then made the decision to quietly afford the two some privacy if possible.

Alex was fiddling with Luke’s chains, head on his boyfriends’ lap, fingers playing with his hair. “You think they care?.. I know they said they didn’t mind..but..”

Luke chuckled, scratching at Alex’s scalp, “I doubt they care. Look, they had their experimental phases a few months ago and we didn’t care about that, so why would they mind us being together?”

Alex’s brows furrowed, fingers twisting the chain around and around his fingers, digging into the callouses on them, “Yeah...but they were just testing the waters, trying to figure things out. We’re actually, y’know, together. We run the risk of ruining the band if we….if, well...if we don’t work out.”

Alex’s voice had dropped at the end and Luke sighed, shaking his head and undoing the chains from Alex’s fingers, “Even if we break up, we won’t ruin the band, dumbass. Look, we’re bandmates and friends first. Nothing can break our bond. Not even death, bro.”

Alex looked up at Luke, face scrunched up in slight disgust, “Don’t sit here and talk about us breaking up and then call me bro. It’s weird.”

Luke laughed and shoved Alex from his lap, smirking as he tumbled to the floor. “Don’t wanna kiss me, bro?” He laughed again and Alex was about to tackle him, and maybe shut him up with some kisses, but then the studio doors opened and he stopped himself.

Reggie and Bobby walked in, arms loaded up with take-out boxes stamped with the label of the new steakhouse down the road. “Soups on! Quit your lip locking. Bobby called, setting the boxes down on the coffee table near the tv.

Luke rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out as he grabbed a box and flopped back into his seat. Reggie was the one who spoke, though, face confused, “But we didn’t get any soup? We got burgers.”

They all rolled their eyes at Reggie, Bobby shoving him jokingly, “Eat your burger before I turn you into soup, Reginald.”

Reggie pouted, but he took his box and sat in front of the table, sitting on his knees to eat. Bobby settled into the new beanbag they’d thrown in here and Alex settled beside Luke after shoving his feet from the seat.

All four boys dug into their meals with gusto, hungry after the show and happy to try the new food. Luke moaned out at the flavor, causing Bobby to roll his eyes in disgust even if it was fondly. Grease was dribbling down Reggie’s chin as Alex licked some ketchup from his fingers. The food was pretty good, actually, the flavor a bit richer than usual, in Alex’s opinion.

Luke was nearly done with his burger when he glanced at his boyfriend, about to steal some of the drummer’s fries, when he saw the change in Alex’s face. He wasn’t sure if Alex had fully noticed it yet as he was still licking his lips free of grease...or no? He was just licking his lips, looking a bit confused. 

Luke dropped his burger and smacked Alex’s from his hands, the pieces scattering across the room. “Hey--” Reggie yelled, having been pelted with sesame seeds and lettuce shreds, but Luke ignored him completely. He was on his knees in front of Alex, eyes wide and hands on his boyfriends’ knees, “Alex, are you okay? How bad is it?”

Alex cleared his throat, greasy hands shaking where they were still held near his face, “Not….not great…”

Luke nodded, eyes locked with Alex, trying to hide his own fear, “Okay...okay. Epi-pen in your pocket?” Alex responded by digging it from his jeans and holding it out to look, pain flashing in his eyes just as he swallowed harshly.

Reggie and Bobby had shared a quick look and Bobby raced out of the studio and into his house to relay the situation to his parents and get them to call 9-1-1 and the Mercers. Reggie had walked forward and was standing behind Luke now. “What can I do?”

Luke swallowed and he grabbed the pen from his boyfriends’ hand and stood. “Help me lay him down...it’ll be easier on his back..” It only took a few seconds to get him down on the floor with Reggie’s help and then Luke got Reggie to situate himself above Alex, laying the blonds’ head in his lap. “Okay..Okay…”

Luke hated this and he was panicking internally, feeling sick to his stomach, but he couldn’t do anything about this. He didn’t have a choice this time. Reggie couldn’t do this, he’d never been shown, and Alex had no way to do it as he was already unable to breathe and shuddering weakly. This had to be something Luke did… He looked back at Alex, reading the pain, fear, and understanding in his eyes. Alex knew how hard this would be for Luke, for anyone, really. He would understand if Luke couldn’t go through with this. Somehow, he wouldn’t be upset, and Luke could see that on his face.

But Luke wouldn’t let him suffer and he definitely wasn’t risking Alex’s death just because he was a bit scared of hurting his best friend. So, taking one last shaky breath, he popped the cap off and looked at Alex with as much love and support as he could, “Prepare for penetration.” He joked, his voice a whisper of his usual cockiness, and then he pressed the needle through the denim of Alex’s jeans into the meat of his thigh and pressed his hand down on the pen to keep it steady.

Alex tried to squirm uselessly, body weak and Reggie’s arms keeping him in place. As he settled, and his lungs whooshed in crackling lungfuls of air, Alex looked back at Luke with something akin to love and amazement.

The three boys sat in silence, Luke only pulling the epi-pen away when Alex batted his hand towards it, and just waited. It was barely five minutes before Bobby, and his parents, returned and maybe only twenty seconds later when sirens pierced the stagnant air around them.

Bobby held Reggie close by as tears dribbled down his rosy cheeks and as Alex was loaded into the stretcher, Luke stepped back and hid his shaking hands in his pockets. Alex was okay. He was fine. Even the paramedics who had checked him out said Luke had done well and that Alex was going to be perfectly fine after a few days' rest. So then why did Luke feel a thousand times sicker than he’d ever felt before?


	4. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke goes to Alex after the events of the day to apologize.

The knock on his window at this late of a time would have scared Alex if he hadn’t already known it was coming. He had seen it written on Luke’s face, the pain scrunching his skin and making him look so much older than he was. Luke felt guilty about this afternoon. Which, Alex, ever the level-headed one of the group, knew was as dumb as could be. After all, Alex’s leg wouldn’t be a mottled purple bruise for that long and Luke had saved his life, so why feel guilty? But Alex had known his boyfriend wouldn’t stay away for long, the need to check on the drummer outweighing his patience. So, without a thought, he flicked up the window latch and pushed it open, returning to his bed as Luke climbed inside.

“Why aren’t you asleep? I was expecting to have to sneak in without your help.” Luke spoke from where he stood, perched on Alex’s desk, still barely in the window.

Rolling his eyes, Alex patted the bed, wanting the other teen away from the window, “Maybe because I’ve been asleep basically the entire time I’ve been home? I slept off the crash, for the most part.”

Luke didn’t look mollified, but he did sit beside his boyfriend on the bed. Well, for all of the three seconds before Alex dragged him down into the nest of blankets he’d built on top of his mattress. Luke groaned, kicking off his shoes so he wouldn’t have to hear Alex lecture, and burying himself beneath the layers of fabric. “Shoulda known.”

“Yeah, you should have. I can read you just as well as I can read Reggie and Bobby. So stop the guilt thing and relax.” Alex muttered into Luke’s hair, situating them so that the brunet had his head on the other’s chest and Alex could properly glue him to his side.

“‘Lex.. Man, I nearly killed you… Like..the food wasn’t checked by any of us and then you couldn’t breathe and you were just laying there..And I know that needle can’t feel good...Your leg must be in so much pain!” Luke went to pull away, untangle their lower limbs, but he was held in place by arms that were strong from years of drumming.

“First of all, I should’ve checked the food. Should have called ahead and asked. That is my job and my job only. No one else is responsible for my allergy except me, okay? Secondly, you saved me, Luke. Reggie didn’t know how to help and I was already too far gone. You took the task up and you did it perfectly.” He nudged his toes against Luke’s calf, a gentle tap. “My leg hurts, sure, but it’s no worse than the calluses on my hands or that time we met Bobby and he gave me a broken nose. So, I’m fine.”

Luke whined, soft and annoyed, immediately going to protest, “I wasn’t gonna let you die, asshole.”

Alex laughed at the muffled argument, a smile appearing on his face, “Good to know. That only leaves two options for the police if I ever wind up dead after a gig.”

Luke groaned and weakly slapped at the drummer’s chest, but his own smile was pressed against Alex’s pulse point. “Reggie would get away with it. One look into his puppy eyes and the cops would fold.”

“Good point. Bobby would happily accept the blame, though. Unfair, sure, but for Reggie we’d all do anything.” Alex countered, smiling wider. He’d successfully made Luke smile and that was a good way to getting Luke to chill out. “Seriously, man, there’s no need to be upset. I’m completely okay. I’m honestly so thankful.. I know doing that isn’t easy. It’s terrifying thinking someone you love is going to die and that you’re the only one who possesses the power to save their life… So, thank you for yet again reminding me why I love you. You’re so fucking brave, Luke.”

Luke hid his blush well, though his ears turning scarlet gave him away, “Shuddup….” Luke didn’t do serious well often, but Alex could feel the tension slowly easing from his boyfriend’s muscles. “Thank you….. M’glad you didn’t die…” Alex could see the joke coming before it left Luke’s lips, already rolling his eyes, “Woulda been a real pain in the ass to find a new drummer.”

“Oh, I’m sure. No one else is gonna put up with the three of you like I do.” Which reminded him, “I mean, seriously, Luke, I’m on the floor of the garage dying and you seriously make a sex joke?”

Luke laughed, tamping down on it by shoving his face further into the crook of his boyfriend’s neck. Neither of them wanted to wake the other Mercers, and they certainly didn’t want to explain their position or how Luke snuck in. “Oh, well, y’know, when your boyfriend is that hot it’s just so hard to think of anything else.” The cockiness in his voice made Alex grin, even as he rolled his eyes again.

“You are such a dumbass. Remind me again why I put up with you?”

“You love me.” Luke mumbled, proudly, but somehow still sounding like he didn’t quite believe it. The words were almost reverent, as if he would never understand how Alex loved him, but he was thanking every entity that existed for it happening.”Also, I have Reggie. No one can say no to Reggie.”

Alex laughed softly, pressing a ginger kiss to the other boys’ head, deciding to go with the joke, even though he gave Luke a firm squeeze to remind him that first part was true, too. “Good point. Reggie is impossible to say no to. And he likes you and Bobby, so I guess I’m stuck.”

Luke hummed his agreement, his words worn and washed over with exhaustion as his guilt finally left for good, “Mhm. Stuck with us forever.”

Even as Alex felt Luke’s breathing even and his thigh twitch in pain at the thought of staying in this position all night, he smiled. Forever with his boys? That sounded perfect. Alex wouldn’t want any other kind of forever. With one last parting kiss, Alex closed his own eyes and allowed his mind to drift to sleep, lingering on Luke’s touch and the daydreams of forever with his boys.


End file.
